Crock Pot Lentils and Spinach for Dinner with Dessert Wontons

It's a beautiful thing when you can throw a few key ingredients in a pot, leave it for several hours, and then when it is time for dinner and your stomach is grumbling, you have the meal completely prepared. Minimal effort=extraordinary dinner. Maybe it's because the slow cooker does all the work for you. Maybe it's because you start dinner hours in advance and then when it is time to actually eat and you are wondering what in the world to make and in how short of time you can make it because you are starving NOW, you remember that something has already been cooking and is ready right when you want it to be! In short, the crock pot is the college kid's best friend...at least in my opinion. I found this recipe when pondering what in the world to fix for dinner on a Saturday night when my laundry list of things to do was out the roof. I just gathered the ingredients, choppped up a few veggies, tossed it in the pot, and let it do the rest.

Crock Pot Lentils and Spinach

• 1 onion, diced



• 3 garlic cloves, minced



• 2 cups water



• 1/2 cup lentils, brown or green (or whatever you prefer)



• 1 package frozen spinach (10 ounces)



• 2 small potatoes, diced into cubes



• 1 Tablespoon curry powder



• 1 teaspoon cumin



• salt and black pepper to taste

1. Chop onions and potatoes. Mince the garlic.



2. Pour the water into the Crock pot.



3. Add the minced garlic, onion, potatoes, spinach, curry powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.



4. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 1-2 hours.



5. Enjoy!!!

Since I did minimal work on the actual meal for supper I decided to experiment with a dessert. I love the combination of cherries and chocolate and have been wanting to make something with the wonton wrappers I bought at Kroger earlier in the week. Gotta love the manager's special. I contemplated what recipe to use for my first time working with the wrappers. Should I make ravioli? Vegetable dumplings? Homemade pizza rolls? (I actually did that with egg roll wrappers and they are delicious!) Since I was craving my two favorite sweet ingredients I decided to try my first wonton wrapper dish as a dessert. A perfect beginning to many more wonton recipes. Of course I always want to feel good about what I put in my body even if it is something to satisfy my sweet tooth, therefore I am always trying to think of ways to create scrumptious treats nutritiously. I started out with the wrappers, grabbed a can of tart cherries packed in water, not syrup, a package of dark chocolate chips (yes, chocolate is good for you depending on the amount you use), and a tiny bit of almond extract. It all came together wonderfully. I enjoyed these immensely and, better yet, so did William.

Dessert Wontons

• Nasoya wonton wrappers (I only used half of the package, which made about 15 wrappers)



• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (60% or higher)



• 1 can tart pitted cherries in water (I used about half of the can)



• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1. Melt the chocolate over simmering water in a double boiler. You may also simmer the water in a pot and place a glass bowl over the pot.



2. In another pot add the cherries, with juice, and almond extract to warm on medium heat.



3. Prepare a baking sheet by praying with nonstick cooking spray.



4. Place one wonton wrapper on the baking sheet.



5. Once chocolate is melted and the cherries are warm, dollop about half a spoonful of the chocolate into the middle of the wonton wrapper.



6. Add about three cherries on top of the chocolate in the middle of the wonton wrapper.



7. Moisten the edge of the wonton wrapper with a bit of the cherry juice from the pot with your finger, spoon, or baster brush.



8. Place another wonton wrapper on top of the prepared wonton with cherry and chocolate.



9. Press down the edges to seal.



10. Spray the tops of the wonton wrappers with oil.



11. Bake in 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.



12. Garnish with left over melted chocolate by drizzling it over the top or with a bit of cinnamon sugar.

Will really liked the cinnamon sugar ones the best. Either way, they're delicious!